Fourty-nine primary pupils from KARI D.E.B primary in Kisii county were on Wednesday, July 26 rushed to hospital, after being attacked by bees.
Confirming the incident, Dr. Cristobel Mageto, the medic in-charge of Oresi sub-county said the learners were rushed to the facility due to bee stings.
Out of these students, 14 were seriously injured and experienced severe anaphylactic reactions, requiring urgent medical treatment.
“We have attended to them and I can confirm that the fourteen seriously injured students are now stable and could be released any time soon,” the doctor remarked.
As an update, it has been confirmed that thirty students who had minor injuries from the bee attack have been discharged from the hospital and are now recovering at home with oral treatments.
The headteacher of KARI primary school, Abel Maseno, explained that the incident occurred when the students had gone to a nearby dumping site during their lunchtime, and unfortunately, they were unexpectedly attacked by a swarm of bees.
“The kids ran to school for protection but they came with the swarm of bees to school. As the staff we tried to contain the situation together with the help of parents who were in school. We brought a total of 49 children who were injured to Oresi facility which is nearest to our school” the headteacher noted.
Mr. Maseno also took the chance to thank the police for their quick response and helping to contain the institution.
Area Sub County Education Officer, Cyrus Maina called for the relocation of the garbage collection site saying it posed a danger to the safety of students at KARI D.E.B Primary School. The position was also backed by parents.
In another instance, a tragic incident occurred in Narok County in May 2023, where a 60-year-old man fell victim to a swarm of bees. Despite being rescued and promptly taken to a nearby hospital, he tragically succumbed to the bee stings.
Moving to June 2023, another unfortunate incident took place in Murang'a County. A man lost his life due to bee stings after a swarm of bees descended on traders at Sabasaba Market.
Furthermore, in a distressing event that took place in 2020, a woman from Kiambere in Embu County met a similar fate. During the late hours of the night, a mysterious attack by a swarm of bees targeted their family, ultimately resulting in the woman's untimely death.
